Enthrall
by aolurker
Summary: This is a companion piece to Escape - a couple people wondered what Alex would enjoy watching Olivia do. Well, I took that idea along with another idea/quote from the original article of Mariska Hargitay interviewing Stephanie March - this one about whether SM and her husband cook at home and who does the cooking.


**Title:** Enthrall  
**Rated:** PG  
**Fandom:** Alex/Olivia, SVU  
******Words:** ~630**  
Notes:** This is a companion piece to Escape - a couple people wondered what Alex would enjoy watching Olivia do. Well, I took that idea along with another idea/quote from the original article of Mariska Hargitay interviewing Stephanie March - this one about whether SM and her husband cook at home and who does the cooking.  
**Notes 2:** THANK YOU SO MUCH to all who commented on Escape. It was such a short little piece but so wonderful to know it made people smile. Hopefully this strikes a similar chord. :)

* * *

**Enthrall**

It wasn't that Alex *couldn't* cook, it was just that she really didn't *like* cooking. And when it was just her, it was never worth the effort, especially since take-out or delivery in NYC provided so many easy and cheap and even healthy options.

So she had her six or seven signature dishes that she was fully capable of making… alright, alright, it was more like three or four signature dishes… and she would have been more than willing to take her turn in the kitchen making them. But, fortunately for both of them, really, Olivia was actually quite happy to take up the cooking duties of their household.

That's not to say Olivia cooked all the time. She didn't, of course. They were two busy women with sometimes long and odd hours. Cooking wasn't always possible and didn't always make sense. So take-out and delivery still made up a pretty significant part of their diet.

But when she could, when time allowed, Olivia truly was content and surprisingly (at least to Alex) at home in the kitchen.

Which was good. Because Alex truly was content (and surprisingly enthralled) with having Olivia in the kitchen.

It wasn't just the satisfaction of seeing the square footage of the kitchen in her expensive condo actually and finally being put to some use, and it wasn't just the somehow comforting sounds of pots and pans and cutting boards being moved around, and it wasn't just the amazing aromas that would fill the apartment and make Alex feel warm even on the coldest of New York nights, and it wasn't the way Olivia would unconsciously and un-self-consciously sometimes hum to herself and even half dance along with some song in her head as she chopped vegetables, and it wasn't just how Olivia would accidentally or perhaps purposefully brush past the attorney's body as Alex stirred something on the stove at Olivia's behest.

It wasn't just all that. But all that contributed.

But strangely, strangely the thing that got to her most, the thing that filled Alex with emotions, emotions she couldn't quite put a name on despite trying her best to, was the spice cupboard. More precisely, it was Olivia reaching above the stove and opening the spice cupboard and spinning the rack that was up there, a rack now overflowing with various sized small jars. And not your standard store bought plastic tub with a red lid and flip up top. No. These were glass jars with spices no doubt bought at some specialty store. They were certainly nothing Alex had bought or would know where to buy.

They were 100% Olivia.

And they were so very domestic.

So very much an indication Olivia had made herself at home here. Had made herself *a* home here.

And the emotions would well.

And well further after watching the detective pull down whatever magic powders she'd been looking for and use whatever very unscientific measures to dole them out into the pot or pan in front of her. For Alex knew what was coming next: Olivia inviting her over to taste the sauce or casserole or whatever dish it was she was making.

Olivia would carefully hold up a spoonful, eyes alight with expectation, focused on Alex's lips as she guided the spoon to the attorney's mouth.

Inevitably Alex would close her lips around it.

Inevitably it would be delicious.

Inevitably Alex's eyes would drift close so she could concentrate on and savor the taste. A perfect mixture of cumin and garlic and oregano with just the perfect touch of paprika.

Then inevitably she'd reopen those eyes to see Olivia smiling that amazing, open, one-of-a-kind, reserved-just-for-her smiles.

Olivia would then kiss her, before returning her attention to completing the preparation of their meal.

And Alex would happily watch.


End file.
